1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to knives and more particularly to an improved knife and shears apparatus, that includes a smaller knife member that pivots upon a larger knife member and wherein the two knife members nest together in a closed position so that the blade of the smaller knife is completely contained within the periphery of the blade of the larger knife. The knife apparatus provides a handle that includes a larger handle and a smaller handle, each having corresponding abutting surfaces that engage when the knife is in a closed position to thereby rigidify the handle.
2. General Background
Many types of knives have been manufactured and sold which afford both the function of a knife and that of scissors or shears. The most common example of such a knife is a multiple blade pocket knife arrangement that includes one or two knife elements and separate scissor elements. These pocket knife devices having multiple blades are typically restricted to cutting small objects because the individual blade and scissor elements are relatively small, as the concept is to combine a large plurality of knife elements in a single pocket knife.
One of the problems incurred by outdoorsmen and hunters is that a knife blade alone is usually not suitable for cutting objects that need to be sheared, such as small tree limbs, large diameter rope, bone, and the like. Deer hunters using tree stands, for example, must frequently cut small limbs to provide a better view.
Many patents have been issued on knives that include both a knife blade and an auxiliary blade that defines scissors with the primary blade. An early example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,357 entitled "Improvements in Knives". The '357 Patent has a larger blade and a smaller blade which is pivotally attached to the larger blade. The smaller blade extends above the surface of the larger blade in a closed retracted position.
A bayonet is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,301,753. The apparatus includes a pivot that joins a pair of knife sections together so that the two knife portions can be manipulated as a shear for cutting objects such as barbed wire.
Another combination knife and scissors is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,771,031. In that device, the two knife blades are of equal length and have cutting edges that abut in a closed position so that each of the knives in combination provides an overall larger dimension to the apparatus in closed position.
A pivoted utility cutting tool having a latching mechanism is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,674,796 issued to H. G. Herold. The Herold device is especially designed for use by electricians to cut and strip insulation from electric wires or other similar operations and wire handling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,533 discloses a combination knife and shear. The implement basically comprises a pair of blade members that may be interlocked in a first position to form a knife and that may alternatively be joined by a pivot pin to form a scissors or shear.
A dagger in the form of scissors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,801 entitled "Protection Scissors". The apparatus includes blades sharpened with outer edges and handles functioning as brass knuckles. A British patent 11,808 entitled "Combination Grape-Cutter and Fruit Knife" provides a pair of spaced apart handles similar to the handles of a pair of pliers. Each handle carries a knife member including a larger knife member on one handle and a smaller, shorter knife member on another handle. The blade of the sharp knife has a concavely shaped cutting edge.
A German patent 29,435 discloses another cutting instrument having a pair of handled members and a pair of blade members. The blade members each provide cutting edges which communicate as the device is closed. One of the cutting blades has a concavely-shaped cutting edge and the other provides a convexly-shaped cutting edge.